The fun part of this job is that you get to talk to people in various careers. Farming is one that I have a great appreciation for, but haven't got a clue how to milk a cow. I did feed calves at my aunt and uncles when I was a kid, but that doesn't probably count.

One of my loves is politics. I love it most of the time, and hate it equally as much the rest of the time. I love quarterbacking and hate the details. I love it when things get done that I think should be done and hate it when the opposition wins a point.

These last few months I've been fascinated with how you have to campaign to get a bill passed and how things like an ear of corn save me money at the gas pump. I would have NEVER paid attention to this until I heard a farmer talking about it, again. We had the same conversation probably a couple of years ago, but it didn't sink in because I didn't NEED it to.

When my car gets to that half-tank mark, you'll find me pulling into the gas station. Not because I'm afraid of running out of gas. I pull in because I'm afraid of the final cost for a full tank. I'm also afraid of how much it will cost tomorrow if I don't fill up today.

Just for giggles as I stood at the pump, I looked at the price of gas without ethanol and it was $.80 MORE. Now when I brought my Texas-born and bred car home to Iowa, well actually it came from Germany, so this whole point might be moot, I was told that I should only use gas WITHOUT ethanol because it will tear up the engine if I didn't. So being the obedient person that I am, I sprang for the most expensive gas...back in the good old days when I could afford it, waaay back in 2020.

This car had never tasted ethanol before. Then I had a conversation with a farmer. Now I know nothing about mechanics either, so he did the farmer thing. You know where they laugh, shake their head and proceed to kindly point out that this is simply not true.

So I gingerly started adding ethanol to the car's diet once in a while. Then prices when up and the car and I had a talk. It went something like this. "Look old thing, I love ya and all, but I can't afford the stuff you've been used to drinking. You're going to get some ethanol now. PLEASE love it!" So the car dutifully drank away.

There is some, well, hate to call it "fake news" I absolutely hate that term now, but how else do you say it? Okay, we can call it news with a lot of half truths. The state is or has mandated, oh I love the word "mandated" too, that gas stations add ethanol to their choices. Now, there is funding to help them do this. Smaller stations don't HAVE to if it will cost them more than $71,000 or if they have to bust up some concrete to do it, but if they choose to do so, there is money to help them do that.

So, again, because I have the choice at the pump, I can save enough money this trip to buy almost a gallon of my lactose free milk. The car can enjoy its ethanol and I can enjoy milk. Both I might add are brought to me by, a farmer.

So thanks guys and gals out there in the fields. My bank account, my car and my oreos appreciate all that you are doing!



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RL February 22, 2022, 2:01 pm I will run E85 too but only when it gets to about 30% less in price to make up for most of the 33% reduction in fuel economy I get with that in my truck. Have tested this over and over, at different times of the year, and I get the same result. Mileage per gallon drops from 17 or so to about 12.5. It’s not the cost per gallon that matters it is the cost per mile driven. Maybe it’s just my truck…

Editor's note: Awww man, not I have to do math!